Ways of forming imperatives

There are no special imperative verb forms or imperative sentence structures in Navajo. Any sentence with a second or a fourth person subject can be understood as imperative as long as the meaning of the rest of the sentence allows it.

Navajo has sentences that can be used as commands or requests, formed with a second person subject, with the verb in certain modes. There also are less direct ways of making commands or requests that are formed with a fourth person subject. These sentences can be affirmative or negative. Below are examples of each of these:

Second Person Affirmation

(1)
Shíká ’anilyeed.
1-for 2-run.I
Help me. / You’re helping me. (lit. You’re running for me.)

Second Person Negation

Optative

(2)
Mósí ch’óółt’e’.
cat out-3-2-take.Opt
Don’t put the cat out! (YMM 1992:882) [[CHECK with speakers]]

Optative + lágo

(3)
Mósí ch’óółt’e’ lágo.
cat out-3-2-carry.O hope.not
Don’t put the cat out! / I hope you don’t put the cat out.

t’áadoo V-

(4)
T’áadoo ’anit’íní!
neg 2-do.NI-Í
Don’t do that!

Fourth Person Affirmative

(5)
Hatáaldi jigháahgo hozhdísin łeh.
ceremony-at 4-go.I-GO 4-respect.NI usually
One should be respectful when one goes to a ceremony.

Fourth Person Negation

(6)
Doo ’ájíníi da!
neg 4-say.NI -neg
One doesn’t say that!

The imperfective mode yields an immediate imperative (i.e., something that requires immediate action), and the future mode is more likely to be used for commands that are less immediate. The optative mode is often used with imperative negations. See also Reichard (1951:137), YM (1987:204), and YMM (1992:881f.). YM (1987:204-5) presents examples of imperatives in numerous aspects. We do not repeat this work here but refer the reader to these sources.

In Navajo, commands seem to be indirect, arising by implication and inference. Sentences with fourth person subjects are often general statements about what constitutes good behavior. The person spoken to is left to infer that the reason the speaker chose to utter the general statement is to affect the hearer’s behavior. Hence, there can be an implication of a command. Statements using the optative mode with lágo express the hopes of the speaker (‘I hope you don’t do this’ or ‘I hope that doesn’t happen’). The behavior in question is understood to be inconsistent with the speaker's desires. If the speaker is in a position of authority, the result is an indirect imperative.

Glossing conventions and a note on morphology are here [link].

An example search has returned 50 entries

’Ak’ah ła’ dishhį́įhgo baa naashá.

lard some 3-1-melt.I 3-to 1-go.CI

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó sitsiits’iin diniih.

morning-past neg 1-eat.P-GO.NEG because soon 1-head 3-ache.CI

’At’éédísh yiniłtsą́?

girl-Q 3-2-see.P

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ ’ayóo nahałtin ńt’éé’.

long.ago very areal-rain.I past

’Áłchíní hastą́ą́ binidááhaidóó deigo hodees’áago t’áá ’ałtso da’ółta’go yá’át’ééh.

children six 3-year.P-from up areal-extend.NP all pl-3-study.NI-GO 3-good.N

’Éí naanishígíí haa nízahdę́ę́’ binanilnishgo hoolzhiizh?

that work-ÍGÍÍ how 3-long.N-past 3-2-work-GO time.move.P

Ííshją́ą́ shį́į́ díí ’atoo’ béésh bii’ kǫ’í bikáá’ dah séką́.

certainly perhaps this stew stove 3-on up 3-1-put.OC.P

-k’ee

-sh

Bee ’atiní ’éí doo ’ashohodoobéézhgóó bee ’azk’az.

freezer TOP extremely 3-with 3-cold.SPN

ch’į́į́góó

listenloadingplaying

everything possible without result, failure in spite of every effort, to no avail

Chidí daats’í bee hólǫ́ ’éí doodaii’ niísh chidí nee hólǫ́?

car maybe 3-with 4-exist.N TOP or 2-Q car 2-with 4-exist.NI

Da’ Cubadę́ę́’ tsinaa’eeł nił ní’éél?

Q Cuba-from boat 2-with 3-float.P

daats’í

dajiłhį́į́h

pl-3DO-4dpl-melt.it.(snow).I

Damóo yę́ędą́ą́’ dziłghą́ą́’dę́ę́’ shádí dóó ba’áłchíní bił ’adaashkai.

sunday past-time mountain top.of-from 1-elder.sister and 3-children 3-with downward-1-go.Pl.P

daooyą́ą́’

pl-3DO-2dpl-eat.it.P

Dá ák’ehdi shizhé’é bił nishishnish j́į́į́dą́ą́. (YM 1968: 598)

Plant.field-at 1-father with 3-1-worked.P today.past
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I worked in the field with my father today.

Díí łééchąą’í dah doosłóós laanaa.

this dog 1-lead.O.ADV-laanaa optative particle for a positive wish, hope or desire.

Díkwíí shą’ ninááhai?

how.many Q 2-winter.NI

Doo t’áá k’ad chidí na’ní’ą́ą da.

NEG just now vehicle 2-3-1-lend.P NEG
listenloadingplaying

I don’t want to lend you a car.

Ha’át’éegosh náníldzid?

why-Q 2-fear.I

ha’át’íí biniyé/ biniinaa

Ha’át’íísh biniinaa naníchxǫ’?

what-Q 3-because 2-pout.CI

Ha’át’íísh Mary nayiisnii’?

What-Q Mary 3-to.buy.I

Ha’át’íí lá nizhé’é yaa naaghá?

what Q 2-father 3-about 3-do.CI

haa yídéetą́ą́’

listenloadingplaying

how deep is it

hadadéélbįįd

pl-3DO-1dpl-fill.something.up.with.it.P

hadazhdééłbįįd

pl-3DO-4dpl-fill.something.up.with.it.P

Hazhóʼí síní. Tʼáadoo naaní’dííldisí.

careful 2-sit.I NEG again-2-wander.Prog-í

háágóó

jiigish

3DO-4-make.one.cut.in.it.I

K’ad cháshk’eh góyaa tó deg ’anool’ąął.

now wash area-down water up 3-move.Prog
listenloadingplaying

The water level is rising now down the wash.

Naadą́ą́’ lá haa néelą́ą́’ nida’ak’eh biyi’ góne’?

corn Q how 3.much.N 2-cornfield 3-in there
listenloadingplaying

How much corn is in your cornfield?

Naaltsoos yiníshta’go shíni’ shaa ’áyiilaa.

book 3-1-read.I-GO 1-mind 1-for 3-3-make.P
listenloadingplaying

The book I was reading established my thoughts.

Nédáá dóó bikáá’adání bik’i ndinís’eez.

1-sit and table 3-on 1-place-1-foot.P
listenloadingplaying

I sat down and put my feet on the table.

nidadiilyeeł

pl-3DO-1dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.F

Níwe, tʼáádoo tózis disxǫsí yóóʼ ahiłdliidí.

stop NEG liquid.container plastic 3-2-throw.away.R.NEG
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Stop! Quit throwing plastic bottles away.

Shá bíighah na’ashkǫ́ǫ́’.

sun proportionate 1-swim.CI

Shilį́į́’ tł’aaká’ii dóó shilį́į́’ biyéél bił tsodizin ’íishłaa.

1-appaloosa and 1-horse 3-saddle 3-with prayer 3-1-make.P

Shimá bighangóó shíni’ ńt’éé’ ch’ééh déago shhoogéé’.

1-mother 3-home-to 1-desire.to.go past in.vain 1-go.P-GO 1-with ho-become.lazy.X

t’ahdii

T’áá ch’ééh ’ásht’į́įgo bįįh biyaaghah ’eelwod.

just in.vain 1-act.NI-GO deer 3-around.corner 3- run.away.P
listenloadingplaying

I was still trying (to get a bead) when the deer went around a corner and disappeared.

T’áá ká ’adah ’oogeeh (lágo)

Neg down 3-fall.O
listenloadingplaying

See that s/he don’t fall.

T’áá ká jinóół’į́į́’

Neg 4-see.O
listenloadingplaying

Don’t let one see it.

Tó tsíídkáá’ didíkaah.

water charcoal-on start-3-2-put.I.OC

Tsékooh biniit’aají łįį’hoł sizį́į́go binísá.

canyon 3-barring.to.a.point horse 4-with 3-stand.SPN.GO 3-1-caught-up.P
listenloadingplaying

I caught up with him sitting on his horse at the canyon.

Yiską́ągo níléí Tóhajiileehgóó shigáál deizt’i’.

tomorrow.GO over.there Tóhajiileeh-toward 1-physical.being pl-3-path.extend.P

Łáháda ’ach’íí’ náshdį́į́h.

now.and.then rolled.intestine 1-eat.R

ʼAtʼééd doo bzhǫ́ǫ da dooleeł.

girl NEG 3-with 3-happy.NI NEG 3-become.F